Starter for internal-combustion motors



v F. A. VASTANO Aug. 2, 1932. STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS18,554 Original Filed Aug. 24-. 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 IIII IIIII M I H/mrmw memo/e" "ATTORNEY, I

Reissue-d Aug. 1932 NITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE FREDERICK A. VASTANO, OFIPATERSON, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- HINTS, TO ECLIPSE AVIATIONCORPORATION, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION 01? NEW JERSEY STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MOTORS01181181 No. 1,700,750, dated February 5, 1929 Serial No. 215,073, filedAugust .24, 1927. Application [or reissue filed February 3, 1931.

This invention relates to startin means for internal combustion motorsan has in view in particular to provide a starting means for so-calledkickers, or outboard motors used in propelling small boats which may beapplied to existing types of such motors without considerable change intheir construction and which shall be simple, reliable, and easilyoperated.

Given the rotary element (of the internal combustion motor) to bestarted and provided with a clutch portion, my invention broadlycontemplates the combination therewith of an electric circuit having asource of 1.: energy and also a break therein, an electric motor in thecircuit, and means shiftable to close the circuit and thereupon transmitrotation from the motor to said element includinga clutching memberdriven by the motor and shiftable as a part of said means into.

clutching engagement with said clutch portion of the latter. In thespecific embodiment herein set forth, said means also in-v cludes, withsaid member, a device whose special function it is to close the circuitas well as cause the shifting of said member. In the simplest andotherwise best formthe clutching member is coaxial with said'element andshiftable lengthwise of its axis. a

3 In the drawings, a

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of'a motor having my starting means andapplied to a boat, w ich part y appears, in section; 15 Fig. 2 is aplan, the boatbeing omitted;

Fig. 3 shows the principal parts of my invention on a larger scale andmainly in section; 1

Fig. 4 is'asection on line 44, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 shows a detail. At therear of the boat 1 is mounted the internal combustion motor or kicker 2,with its main or pro eller shaft 3 u right, such motor as shown eing ofa well known type. The shaft 3 has suitably aflixed on its upper end thefly-wheel 4, and they together form Serial No. 613,237.

the aforesaid rotary element of the motor, the remaining parts of which,being well known and having no particular bearing on the presentinvention, require no description herein. The shaft 3 usually has athreaded upper end 311 protruding from the flywheel and receiving a nutwhich bears upon the latter. In place of this nut I screw on saidthreaded end 3a a tubular shaft-extension or post 5 having a top wallwith a central opening 51) therein.

On said rotary element is secured a clutchpiece 6, here shown held tothe fly-wheel by cap-screws 7 Also on said element but revoluble andalso longitudinally 'shiftable thereon is the aforesaid rotary memberdriven by the electric motor; in the present example this comprises aclutch-piece 8 (to engage clutch-piece 6) having a threaded majorextension 8a, a sprocket-wheel 9 screwed fast on the extension 8a, and alock-nut 10 (to se-' cure the sprocket in place) screwed on a further orminor and reversely threaded (Fig. 5) extension 8?; of the clutch-piece8. Said member and element together aflord a housing 11 (around theprotruding part of the shaft) and this contains a spiral spring 12 whichnormally holds the clutching portion of said member clear of that ofsaid element, as shown in Fig. 3. Assuming said rotary member to bedriven, on forcing the same toward the fly-wheel said member and ele-.ment will be clutched together and the lat ter driven by the former.

The clutching member formed by the sprocket wheel and its clutch-piece 8is driven, through a chain 13, by a sprocket wheel-14 .on or formingapart of the rotor of an electric motor 15 which it will-be convenientto mount in a bracket 16 projecting from a fixed part, as the casing, ofthe motor 2. This motor is in a circuit 17 having a source of electricenergy 18 and a break (to be indicated in the circuit).

For closing the circuit and shifting said through opening 51) thereofandits head 20a below wall 5a and so retaining the knob in place. Thestem of the knob is seated on a spiral spring 22 housed in theshaft-extension,,and of less resistance than spring 11. Collar 21 formsone terminal of the mentioned circuit and some other metal part of themechanism normally insulated from the collar by the flange 190 may formthe other terminal, leaving (normally) the aforesaid break in thecircuit at 23, Fig. 3.

When the means including the knob (which is in efiect swivelled on saidrotary element) and said clutching member is shifted downwardly as bypressure being exerted on the knob until it contacts with and thendepresses said member, the circuit will be closed (starting the motor15) and the clutching portions engaged with each other, whereby themotor 15 will impart rotary impulse to the motor 2'to start the same.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and havinga clutch fportion, an electric circuit having a source 0 energy and alsoa break therein, an electric motor 1n the circuit, a rotary clutchingmember driven by the motor and shiftable into clutching enagement withsaid clutch portion, and a ob coaxial with said element and movable lenhwise of its axis to close the circuit and shi said member into suchengagement.

2. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and havinga clutch portion, a rotary clutching member, means to rotate saidmember, said member being shiftable into clutch-engagement with saidportion to start said element rotating, and a knob movable to cause suchshifting of said member swivelled andarranged concentrically withrespect to said element.

3. In combination, the rotary element to be started rotating and havinga clutchportion and an extension projectin centrally of said portion, aclutching mem r revoluble on said extension and shiftable thereon intoand out of interlocking engagementwith said portion, a drivin motor, acircuit to said motor, a switch e ement in said circuit, and means formoving said switch element into contact with said clutching member toenergize saidmotor and, by the pressure of such contact, shift saidclutching member into en;

gagin position. a,

a. starter for an outboard motor, a

clutch member in o erative relation clutch member secured to theflywheel of the motor, a clutch member adapted to engage said firstnamed clutch member, yieldin means normally operative to hold said clutcmembers in disengaged position, a sprocket member operatively connectedto said second named clutch member, power means for driving the sprocketmember, and common means for rendering the power means operative and formoving the sprocket member and the clutch member secured thereto intodriving relation with the first named clutch member, said meansincluding a current conducting element adapted to contact an integralpart of said second named clutch member.

5. In combination with an outboard engine of the type employed on boats,an electric motor mounted on said engine, a transmission wheel driven bythe motor, a combined transmission wheel and clutch member adapted to bedriven by the first named wheel, a flexible looped member drivablyconnecting said wheels, a toothed clutch member carried by the engine,and means comprising a substantially cylindrical current conductingelement shiftable along the axis of rotation of the combined wheel andclutch member for closing the circuit to the motor and moving thecombined transmission and clutch member to operative position.

6. In combination with an outboard engine'of the type employed on"boats, anelectrio motor mounted on said engine, a clutch member adaptedto bedriven by the motor, a clutch member carried by the engine, andmeans for closing the circuit to the motor and moving the first namedclutch member to oper'ative position, said means including a currentconducting element held fast to said clutch member.

7. In combination with a rotatable element of an engine to be cranked, aclutch member normally disengaged from said element a gear secured tosaid clutch member, a locking member for maintaining said gear andclutch in operative relation, electrical power means for actuating saidgearand clutch, and means engageable with said locking means for closingthe circuit to said electrical powermeans.

8. In combination with a rotatable element of an engine to be cranked, aclutch member normally disengaged from said element, a

gear secured to said clutch member, a lockmg member for maintaining saidgearand electrical power means. or actuating said gear and clutch, andmeans engageable with said locking means for connecting said clutchmember to said rotatable element and at the same time closing acircuitthrough said looking member to energize said electrical powermeans.

9. In combination with a rotatable element of an engine to becranked,'said element having a clutch member secured thereto, acomplemental clutch member normally disemgaged from said first namedclutch member,

a. gear secured to said complemental clutch member, electrical powermeans for actuating said gear and clutch member, and means engageablewith said gear for meshin said clutch members and at the same time c osia circuit through said gear to energize sai 1o electrical power means.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

' FREDERICK A. VASTANO.

